The Ache and the Heartbreak

At one point if you have ever lived you might find yourself suffering from a broken heart.

My heart breaks a lot, sometimes a little sometimes a lot.

I blame it on my accessible emotion. On being generous with my heart.

I would rather offer love in any relationship than not.

Some shelter, some refuse to experience the multi-faceted experience of love and pain.

Loves pain can crack you open to a newer deepened experience of yourself.

Why stand in a shallow when you can immerse yourself fully experience bliss but risk the pain.

All artwork my own - https://www.redbubble.com/people/Lisadee

A heart is immense it has reign and terrain for everything. The many forms of love of friendship, courtship, of things and places, of objects, concepts, and spaces, of music, textures, and tastes.

Love does not ruin us it is what makes us alive.

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Moonstuck


"Love don't make things nice, it ruins everything, it breaks your heart, it makes things a mess. We're not here to make things perfect. Snowflakes are perfect! The stars are perfect! Not us! Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and break our hearts and love the wrong people and die!"

Shopping Vintage ::: The Best of Bad Taste.

I have been shopping vintage since I was about 13 years of age (long long ago). During a high school camp I just had to duck into a thrift shop and buy a 1960's silver necklace...I was ridiculed mercilessly for it.

Morons.

They mocked I very quietly felt smug. I didn't care - they didn't get it and I had a unique piece. I was hooked.

Fabrics prints and cut - I don't care where its from how little or how much it cost if I love it I must have it. I am no designer snob. Sure I understand fine fabric and garment construction but impact for me wins every time!

Years spent trawling through peoples off casts gathering things I just simply adored, whether it was to worn or not has amassed me quite a collection. I may have to cull it soon with a sale but I doubt it, they are irreplaceable. Somethings I buy just because, I have a vulgar collection of hideous 70's kitchenware, a truly beautiful collection of mid century ceramics - not huge but every piece to me divine, fabulous hats mostly 1950's some I have worn but all of these things I am proud to own.

My advice for collecting is...If it makes you smile - get it. If it makes no sense at all but you love it - have it. Life is far too short to edit. Live it, make your heart sing!

Sometimes I get to pull out an item I've never worn but have harbored for years - they are the things that other people comment on and say they wish they could wear. I got this little number recently it was far too short and far too big till I took it in and thought of teaming it with Opaques.

What can I say...Who doesn't want to look like vintage wallpaper?

Another fascination lately has been boxy vans...don't start me. The flatness of the front, the side mirrors are industrial art not design, the trim...garhhhh drool.....

How cool is this ride and how much fun could a night out with the gang be in this machine? 

Get the music thumping...

Anyone interested in a vintage shopping tour? Hmmm...

Some advice before we begin.

Thought for the Day...

I Love a Mature Gent ::: For the Love of Older Men

There is something about older men...

older dignified men. Men with a past men with a history. There is much to appreciate about an older man, a lived in face that wears an expression that tells of his life.

Fit men, tall men, short men, stout, fluffy, tanned or pale. Men who know who they are.

I do not suffer a Daddy complex and as someone who sees themselves as mature it's certainly not about me playing 'young' that would be ridiculous. Perhaps its because these men have some preconceived notion of how to treat a woman, they are gentlemen.

Give me the silver fox every time.

Smooth, sophisticated, refined.

A wardrobe dapper from another time.

A man who knows who he is. Interesting and bold and full of character and charm - in this way age has nothing to do with it, age to me is irrelevant.

I find confidence sexy...
along with fine cloth, good hats, traditional shaving sets, masculine old school glamour and of course great company.

What do you want? Glitter and Rainbows all the Time?

Be careful what you wish for - you just might get it!

What a lovely problem that would be I can see bluebirds and ribbon swathes fluttering above my head as I think about it.

Getting what I want - oh the mere suggestion of it. My visions have always been huge and all encompassing and if they - when they occur I am sure there will be a period of adjustment and then on going readjustment.

Often I have been witness to people yearning and indeed getting their needs and wishes fulfilled only then to begin to complain about them once they appear.

People often complain about the best problems don't they?

A challenge, a task, a choice.
Be grateful you are in a position to have great problems. What job to take, what cat or car to buy, when and if to start a family, a relationship, holiday...

As we traipse through the abundance on offer we fail to stop and smell the proverbial.

We all expect to live a charmed existence with the lot: sparkles, enthusiasm, pure enjoyment, total elation in an almost endless supply.

                               

Well life can be like that at times, but I can guarantee not all of the time. In to each life a little rain must fall. Strangely enough the rain can even start to fall at the exact time we get what we wished and longed for.

                                 

So while the bluebirds are swirling ribbons above our heads, rainbows are in full splendor and all is fine in the forest, sometimes, sometimes due to timing and life wanting us to see just how lucky we are, sometimes things can also get tough. 

SKINHEADS & SHARPIES THE FASHION THAT WAS!

What a bizarre arrangement of fashion statements the Sharpie and Skinheads subscribed to with no uncertainty. It went something like this...

STARTING FROM THE FEET UP

Doc Martins, Crepe sole shoes, treads and platform shoes either laced or zip up ankle boot style are a statement all of their own; chunky clunky unsightly and mean. Drab colours of black, burgundy, chocolate, ox blood and forest green.

These shoes were made for kicking heads in...how charming.

Skin tight denim jeans or cords, perhaps some pinstripe flares that defy all logic that once started their life out as a 3 piece suit. What side these dudes dressed on was as plain as the nose on their face - so many puns to avoid...

Chest hugging 'Connie' jumpers' and cardigans, tight denim jackets with rounded exaggerated bean shaped collars worn over the obligatory tight basic 't'. Cigarette packets shoved into the tight cap sleeves were also a part of the signature look. Older Skinheads and Sharpies often sported tattoo's which at the time were still a stigma associated with a less than desirable lifestyle and were the realm of ex-con's, sailors and bikers.

Tattoo's of a tear or star on the face were definitive of this tribe, there was nothing soft about it the rougher and tougher the better. Necks emblazoned with a dotted line across them had the words 'cut here' as as instructions. Tattooed knuckles and hands were also very typical. Stud earrings, sleepers or small crucifix's were worn in the ears of the guys and the girls often in multiples.

Heads were shaved clean or clipped very close to the head thus the term Skinhead. Men and women often left the back few centimeters of hair at the back of the head this was the 'Sharpie' hair cut.

THIS IS ENGLAND
A powerful portrayal of the English brand of skinheads, a tough gritty film with exceptional styling.

http://skinsnsharps.com/

The Australian version.

(I think he was off to Tullamarine Airport or perhaps Camperdown?)

The fashion was as brutal and ugly as the lifestyle. You did not dare look sideways at anyone that looked like one of these guys or girls, fist fights and brawls were fought by both sexes. As a small child this stuff was a mean and threatening presence and very identifiable. The gangs were predatory and many did eventually find their way to jail or had their lives cut short. I don't romanticise the existence of this brutal sub culture their intent was to intimidate and harass. I prefer to recall the experience of growing up during the last dying years of the Skinheads and the Sharps as a Fashion anomaly - a curiosity. There is a small re emergence of the look embraced by today's youth market. Lets hope they are not as angry, self destructive and violent as the originals.

Take two - the revival of the 1970's look in 2012
A lot softer than the original version the new cross pollination of folk and Sharpie fashion does have its charm.

The brilliant and talented actress and comedian Magda Szubanski has given us much pleasure with her indelible character Michelle of Michelle and Ferret Sharpie the couple as seen in this clip. This 'is' the Skinhead dance. Enjoy and give it a crack - preferably while at a work function.

Eat Like You Are Away ::: United Arab Eatery

I love food it is no secret and living in Melbourne is like an indulgent food discovery at any given time. Having recently eaten at Attica I was blown away by the quality of the food I came across at U.A.E United Arab Eatery and found myself making comparisons to the restaurant.

U.A.E is not a restaurant it is a lovely little homely cafe eatery.

Open for lunch and dinner everything is homemade and exquisite something to be experienced rather than recommended - they do offer take away and patrons were more than happy to wait for their order and I can understand why, in fact I thought thrice about sharing this place as I selfishly want to covet it and its limited seating. Beautifully selected ingredients are fresh and blended with seemingly effortless yet spectacular results. Another thing I love about this place is its conviction in regard to offering a limited array of drinks that perfectly compliment the menu.

This the Roasted eggplant and pumpkin meal I would seriously recommend as I would any other I have had since, the lamb and preserved lemon pide is also divine.

So if you want to get a little cosy and enjoy some great food every time - get to U.A.E tell them you read my blog and tell them Lisa says Hello.

UAE

107 High Street 

Preston
T: 9480 4044

Offensive Image Warning ::: The Furries and the Fury

Hmmm...while I did not have a sheltered childhood by any measure I did find somethings shocking and deeply disturbing. I just could not fathom one reason in my tender head why any other child aged 7 of so like myself would like these characters...TV assulted me with a bombardment of hideous disfigured creatures with bad faces, equally poor humor, innane chatter from bad voice actors or mute panotomime! This was the stuff of nightmares to me.

Marty Monster and Co.

I felt isolated and alone as my friends would laughingly recount Marty Monsters antics - a sadness of a world gone wrong would resonate through me like a gong. I still have a thing about bad teeth to this day - you can blame Martyfor that.

Fat Cat
This still scares me - what was fat cat trying to say?

Would we call him Metabloically Challenged Feline today instead of just Fat Cat?

Agro had a bad attitude but had an acid humor that sometimes shone through his Brillo/Jex like face. 

BARRGHHHH!

I don't think I need to elaborate anymore on that.

Sigmund the Seamonster

I am no furry but I did one love Sigmund. 

He was small had one prominant tooth and was picked on by his family - so I could relate. 

Before braces you could have mistaken me for this little guy, although I did not answer the phone by saying 'Shello' - it was a shell phone that was the gag.

True hidiousness.

Which with so much mixed emotion and trauma attached to the phantasmagorical creatures splashed across my vision most of my childhood might explain why I go weak at the knees for this guy.

Wilfred.

If you haven't seen it and have an acerbic bent when it comes to humor give this little dog a try. Adorable, rude and crude.

And just in case you're wondering what ever happened to Marty it was this.

Clearly animal cruelty this would not be permitted these days. Perhaps Marty got his just desserts.

Memphis Design 1980's Style ::: National Gallery Of Victoria

Recently I went to the NGV and laughed at myself when I came across these perfect examples of Memphis Design. The movement was at its height during the 1980's it was seen everywhere and I loved it. I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven if owned this chair and book shelf. To me they epitomise the look. Colourful, restrained yet gaudy, childish yet intelligent, functional art.

'First Chair' by Michele De Lucchi 1983. Bookshelf 'The King' by Ettore Sottsass 1981.

Memphis design exploded onto and into every facet of design - it was like a showbag 

vomited on everything; fashion, restaurants, nightclubs, music clips and every available 

page and design element imaginable. I still have some very lurid giant earrings that I
covet that are true to the design aesthetic.

As I continued through the gallery musing on the direct evidence and influence of
Bauhaus and Mid century design that led to Memphis I came across the following
pieces that are way off the mark in the timeline and were clearly anomalies at their
time - that scream 80's Memphis Design to me. I found it quite interesting and thought
I would share. 

                        

The details of this mirror simply read : England manufacturer 1810

                                                               

This mirror looks every bit an 1980's spectacular.

Christopher DRESSER designer Tea service 1879

Christoper DRESSER designer Letter rack 1881

The ball elements and sense of scale on the silverware above are 100% Memphis

to me.

Joseph CSAKY Abstract sculpture 1919 cast 1960 3/6

Although this sculpture does have some deco feel it could just have easily sat in an

80's Memphis theme.

Barbara HEPWORTH Eidos 1947

This gorgeous piece almost crosses over to pop art and sits on the fence, mid century/Memphis?

Jacob EPSTEIN Sunflower 1912-13

Classic sunburst element here. 

I also came across this stunning portrait simply entitled Girl in Black I found her image 

completely compelling and very intriguing, interestingly I thought she would be 

amazing during any decade. Her hair and clothing could be reflective of so many eras.

Gerald leslie BROCKHURST Girl in Black 1930's

Style and design can definitely transcend time and peal throughout the global consciousness in a seemingly erratic way filtering through again and again during different times and trends, like a beautiful key aesthetic that wont go away.

Why I Admire People Who QUIT!

I am a trier and a striver in many ways. Always trying new things and striving to make things better. I am also a sticker - I stick by people and things.

Now that all might sound good right?

Its not good.

I think its my perception of being 'good' and 'reliable' and 'strong'. Sometimes (often) it hasn't served me. I will be there smiling and dying on the inside, my clenched brushed teeth like a little shield that belies the 'I am dying in here' mental tract I am stemming from exploding into the atmosphere verbally. I suppose in the past I could be accused of manacling and muzzling myself for the greater good of others...yes that statement could be quite fair.

Recently - very recently I decided I was going to give up. Quit. Let go of, send it off into the funeral pyre of failures. Oh I tried, I truly tied and the feedback was I was actually quite good at it but inside...sad grey limp me.

Sady Me

I don't give up on things easily like I said I commit to things - morally. My friendships; I am the stayer, the stalwart, the through thick or thin pin. My head says I will make things work. I can be irritatingly determined. Taking things on I carefully consider it all, I take a task and pick it up and examine it from every angle, I play out the what ifs in my head, I am careful, deliberate, conscious.

Then there are those other types, the people I have met that appear to have done the same then enter into it and go...

'You know what...actually...no'

I how I have grown to admire these people, they are 10 foot tall in my estimation.

Previously I was like a dog with a bone, I would gnaw on things, toss the problem around, see if I could make it into something new, something rewarding, a karmic challenge, an blessing disguised as an issue.

Yesterday I said...

No its an ugly bone, I have tasted and tested it, there is no meat, no nourishment for me. I am not the happy dog chewing on that bone and I don't want to soon behave like the dog that's poorly fed unsatisfied and mean.

So I simply said...yes after anguish and much self flagellation I said no more to that bone and I gave up. Looking myself squarely in the eye...I hee hawed loudly, barked, waged every imaginable tail and...

 I said no more, I said that's not for me!